NASA's Roman Space Telescope could help researchers detect the universe’s FIRST STARS using the wide field of view and rapid survey speed of the upcoming observatory. #NASARoman (1/6) 🧵
The universe’s earliest stars, known as Population III stars, are notoriously hard to detect with even our most powerful observatories due to their great distance and short lifetime. They were made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. (2/6)
#NASARoman will not seek intact stars. Instead, astronomers will hunt for signs of Pop III stars that have been shredded by black holes, creating a bright and energetic phenomenon known as a tidal disruption event (TDE). (3/6)
TDEs generate light in many wavelengths. The further we look into the early universe, where these early stars primarily reside, the more the optical and UV light is redshifted, into near-infrared wavelengths visible to Roman. (4/6)
“Roman can go very deep and yet cover a very big area of the sky. That's what's needed to detect a meaningful sample of these TDEs,” said Jane Dai, professor of astrophysics at the University of Hong Kong. (5/6)
With this proposed strategy for identifying Pop III stars, there’s an opportunity to explore more of the universe’s mysteries, opening up numerous opportunities to better understand not only the early universe, but also galaxies closer to home. (6/6) https://www.stsci.edu/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-204
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